The Swedish police was caught a while back in 2013 running an illegal registry of Rroma that comprised over 4’700 individuals. Sweden’s Parliamentary Ombudsman (‘Justitieombudsmannen’) issued a sharp criticism of the police on that topic and requested that each of the registered person receive 5’000 Kronor ($ 768).
The Swiss television “Mise au Point” presented a reportage on the Rroma shantytowns outside of Lyon. Beside the obvious fact that they forget to say that this is a very small minority of migrants, less than 15’000 over all of France (against ca. 500’000 integrated Rroma), the commentaries of the neighbours are really really scary. Listen …
The current president of the federal tribunal, Ms. Bettina Limperg is ashamed at an old judgement from the tribunal referring to Rroma as a “plague”. Contrary to what one could think, this judgement was not made under the Nazis but in 1956, so eleven years after the end of the War.
This statement was alas by no mean an exception, as the Rroma Holocaust was not recognised as having been based on ethnicity until the 1970’s.
A Madrid based French photographer, Pierre Gonnord has produced beautiful pictures of Rroma that he has taken in Spain. The pictures, while truly stunning, still play the old card of poor, non integrated Rroma. This is a pity, and actually, we do not need this – especially when presented as a general view of this minority.
The French Magazine “Valeurs Actuelles” has been condemned for incitation to racial hatred against Rroma for an article and title page of the magazine called: “Les Roms, l’Overdose” – The Rroma, the overdosis that was published in August 2014. The director of the publication, Yves de Kerdrel has been sentenced to a fine of 3’000 Euro.
This is a news, and good news, especially in France where the image of the Rroma is not good, and where even the Prime Minister is not adverse at racists statements against this minority.
As usual, not a week can pass in France without the press lamenting about illegal settlements, or reporting on the judicial actions of Rroma or NGOs fighting evictions. This time, these are again the Rroma from Roubaix, in the North of France whose expulsion is pending a legal hearing that has now been reported to mid April.
Le monde diplomatique published a long article on the Rroma in today Erdogan’s Turkey. Many of them were driven out of centuries old settlements, some such as Sulukule in Istanbul dating back more than a thousand years.
However, in the last five years, some of the key laws against Rroma in Turkey have been revoked. These gestures are due in part to the pressure of the EU concerning the rights of minorities in Turkey are not fundamentally changing their situation. Prejudices are strong, very strong in that country, and Rroma – still called Cingene – are still all too often simply excluded.
While starting with a good intention, Planet.fr, in their article entitled “Roms: pourquoi tant de haine?” [Rroma: why so much hatred], manages to pack quite a few stereotypes and misinformation in a short article. They speak of 17’000 Rroma (only those who have arrived from Romania and Bulgaria), associating Rroma with migrants and neglecting the 500’000 who live in that country, speak of poverty, etc.
On the positive side, they mention that France is indeed quite racist at this stage against Rroma and tha French politics have a problem with Rroma.
An exhibition in Duisburg shows art from Maurice Pankok (1893-1966), and artist who dedicated a lot of his art to Rroma and Sinti as well as photographs from Joachim Eskildsen, author of the now famous book “The Roma Journeys”. A must in both cases.
Ausstellung über Sinti und Roma in Duisburg. In: WAZ. 15.03.2015. http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/duisburg/ausstellung-ueber-sinti-und-roma-in-duisburg-aimp-id10424658.html
The Swedish exhibition featuring two Rroma beggars continues to make waves. This time, Libération speaks about it, citing the Rroma associations from Sweden / Malmø.
Soraya Post, a MEPalso slammed this exhibition as being disgracefull.
The Mail Online again distinguishes itself with ludicrous statements that girls as yound as 12 are forced married against thousands of pounds an are now living in Rotterdam. They call for an urgent investigation of how many such cases now live in the UK. As usual, several items are mixed in such news: The fact that Vlax Rroma (originally from Romania) pay for the bride. It by far doesn’t mean that they are “boufght” for this price, often in gold coins belongs to the bride and is a guarantee in case of divorces or difficulties. And again, from Rroma, the first boyfriend or girlfriend is considered to be the “husband” or the “wife”. Add these two facts, and you get a lurid headline that has little to do with reality.
A court in Rome has found a publishing house that published a text book suggesting that „Gypsies“ were criminals, has been condemned for discrimination. This is a landmark case in Italy where these statements are all too often tolerated if not encouraged.
A theatre piece in Berlin, called “Zur Endlösung der Zigeunerfrage” – the final solution of the Rroma question – relates the murder of Rroma during the Nazi times. The collective behind the piece, composed of youngsters and scientists, have researched first hand accounts of Rroma and Sinti of that period and brought them to the stage. Questions on ethnicity, racial profiling are also raised in the piece.
A must, and a stark reminder that Rroma were murdered in scores by the Nazis during world war two. In some countries such as the Czech republic or in Croatia, the entire Rroma population was wiped out. In others, one estimate that 250 thousands to maybe a million or more were murdered in camps, but also simply shot on the spot.
– Dokumentartheater zur NS-Geschichte: Zur Endlösung der Täterfrage. In: TAZ. 20.02.2015. http://www.taz.de/Dokumentartheater-zur-NS-Geschichte/!155110/
The case of the dead child that could not be buried in France after a mayor refused to sign the inhumation permit came to a close this week. The police had launched an investigation on the mayor’s actions following the reports of the case in the press. This investigation has now been closed without further actions. This in spite of the fact that prominent politicians like Toubon declared the mayor’s action to be clearly illegal.
– Refus d’inhumer un bébé rom en Essonne: L’enquête classée sans suite. In: 20 Minutes. 18.02.2015. http://www.20minutes.fr/…/1544115-20150218-refus-inhumer-be…
A young filmmaker Sahra Denard is currently making a documentary on Rroma migrants in the city of Toulouse. She is working with three Romanian sisters who live in an camp and will go with them in Romania, in their village of origin.
While the filmmaker wants to reduce stereotypes, the choice of subject contributes to re-enforce the general views on Rroma; Migrants from Romania or Bulgaria, poor, uneducated etc. On such a topic, the line between helping and damaging Rroma is a thin one to walk.
– Sarah Denard, un documentaire sur les Roms. In: La Dépèche. 19.02.2015. http://www.ladepeche.fr/…/2052220-sarah-denard-un-documenta…
A new exhibition in Vienna called “Romane Thana” or Rroma places presents the culture of the Rroma. The exhibition presents pictures, documents, sound material. Klaus-Michael Bogdal, authors of the book “Europa erfindet die Zigeuner” is also present at this exhibition.
Pity that the article, as well as Bogdal and the exhibition itself perpetuates the view that Rroma only arrived in the late middle ages in Europe. For some reason, in the eyes of Westerners, the Byzantine Empire never seems to have existed, much less to have been in Europe …
– Wien-Museum: Das Leben der Roma und Sinti. In: Die Presse.com.12.02.2015. http://diepresse.com/…/WienMuseum_Das-Leben-der-Roma-und-Si…
– Wien Museum zeigt Orte der Roma und Sinti. In: Heute.at. 10.02.2015.http://www.heute.at/freizeit/kultur/art23668,1124806
A new exhibition in Vienna called “Romane Thana” or Rroma places presents the culture of the Rroma. The exhibition presents pictures, documents, sound material. Klaus-Michael Bogdal, authors of the book “Europa erfindet die Zigeuner” is also present at this exhibition.
Pity that the article, as well as Bogdal and the exhibition itself perpetuates the view that Rroma only arrived in the late middle ages in Europe. For some reason, in the eyes of Westerners, the Byzantine Empire never seems to have existed, much less to have been in Europe …
– Wien-Museum: Das Leben der Roma und Sinti. In: Die Presse.com.12.02.2015. http://diepresse.com/…/WienMuseum_Das-Leben-der-Roma-und-Si…
– Wien Museum zeigt Orte der Roma und Sinti. In: Heute.at. 10.02.2015.http://www.heute.at/freizeit/kultur/art23668,1124806
A new exhibition in Vienna called “Romane Thana” or Rroma places presents the culture of the Rroma. The exhibition presents pictures, documents, sound material. Klaus-Michael Bogdal, authors of the book “Europa erfindet die Zigeuner” is also present at this exhibition.
Pity that the article, as well as Bogdal and the exhibition itself perpetuates the view that Rroma only arrived in the late middle ages in Europe. For some reason, in the eyes of Westerners, the Byzantine Empire never seems to have existed, much less to have been in Europe …
– Wien-Museum: Das Leben der Roma und Sinti. In: Die Presse.com.12.02.2015. http://diepresse.com/…/WienMuseum_Das-Leben-der-Roma-und-Si…
– Wien Museum zeigt Orte der Roma und Sinti. In: Heute.at. 10.02.2015.http://www.heute.at/freizeit/kultur/art23668,1124806
Following the sharp increase of people fleeing Kosovo to escape poverty and, in the case of Rroma, discrimination and outright racism, there are calls in Germany to be more stringent on theses asylum applications. Various measures have been suggested by politicians (Tagesspeigel) going to extraditing refugees also in the winter, as asked by politicians from the CDU (LNOnline). Some even deny that there is an issue in the country.
Politicians should be maybe remember, especially in Germany, that they recognised the country but also implicitly if not explicitly recognised the ethnic cleansing of minorities from the Kosovo. Ethnic states have no place in the 21st century!
– Simantke, Elisa; Monath, Hans. Streit um schnellere Abschiebung. In Der Tagesspeigel. 13.02.2015. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/…/fluechtlinge-aus…/11360670.html
– Streit um Asylbewerber aus dem Kosovo: Nord-CDU macht Druck. In: LNOnline. 13.02.2015. http://www.ln-online.de/…/Streit-um-Asylbewerber-aus-dem-Ko…
– Kosov ist kein Krisenland. Beate Merk im Gespräch mit Thielko Grieß. In: Deutschlandrundfunk. 14.02.2015.
Another article from the Welt on the Romanian Movie we already reported on “Aferim” reminding people of the slavery that prevailed in Romania until the 1860’s. A state that explains a lot about the situation of Rroma in that country. One only need to think of the United States and realise that one is not far from what was comon until Martin Luther King.
– Als in Europa Sklaverei noch ganz normal war. In: Die Welt. 12.02.2015
Not all news in France on Rroma is negative. In the north of France, an association helps Rroma to integrate, to obtain papers and find work. They follow Rroma, mostly from Romania who have been in the region for several years.
In Avignon, the state lodged some 30 Rroma in a camping after having been expulsed from their camp. Probably, the officials thought that as they are “travellers” a camping is the proper thing to do.
While the press ponders the reports from the ERRC and the LDH on the evictions of Rroma camps in France, these evictions, as apparent from other papers, continue in full swing. For example, about 100 Rroma were evacuated by the police from a former factory (La Marne) or in Loos, the polices “re-organised” Rroma camps (Voix du Nord).
Meanwhile, the Figaro reports on crimes committed by the “gens du voyage”, the French version of the term of “Travellers”. In this case, some Travellers are reported to have stolen an car with a baby on board and abandoned the kid on the side of the road. Following this, the police raided 6 camps. These camps have nothing to do with the illegal Rroma camps – these are camps with caravans etc. Once again, criminality is presented as a way of life and as part of the culture. In addition, the journalist is not quite sure of his terminology, using several different terms to denote the criminals he reports on.
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